Romance Ain't Dead
by valentine999
Summary: To save her, the Captain chose duty over desire. To forget him, the Princess resigned herself to the life of a royal. It is shame fate had other plans for them. HitsugayaxOC. Lemons.
1. Part I: It Wasn't a Summer Romance

**PART I: IT WASN'T A SUMMER ROMANCE**

CHAPTER 1

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_April mornings in Soul Society were cool and crisp. Fog and ice clouded a view of Spring; the cherry blossoms were held captive as buds to the last chill of Winter. They waited for sunshine, for the warm embrace of May._

_The Royal Quarters in Seireitei were housed in a grand, ornate building in the centre. Once a library and temporary retreat for the Royal family, it now leant itself as permanent shelter to the crown princess, Mei. Her home was surrounded by gardens and a winding lake, with cherry trees that the princess had looked for shade under since childhood. She had often visited these quarters as a child, when her parents would come to speak with the shinigami, or with Room 46. When she was sixteen, however, her parents had decided Seireitei would be a better place for her to continue her training as a warrior princess and soon Mei found herself amidst the shinigami, feeling entirely lost._

_She was lucky not to be alone; the royal household had granted her an entourage of servants. What half of them did, she had no idea- the princess was ushered from class, to training, to auspicious event and back again. Every day seemed the same, endless and beautiful was the life of a princess although, whilst Mei was grateful no doubt, the nineteen year old royal longed for something more._

_She had had that once. That excitement, that passion, that lust, that adventure. But all at once, it was taken from her; just as everything else was. Such is the life of a princess. Such was her life._

* * *

Mei was tangled in a mess of blankets and sheets, entirely at home in her over-sized, overly-ornate bed. She smiled as she felt the first breeze of the morning caress her back as she buried her head further into the pillows. She knew her balcony doors must be open to entice such a breeze into her room; Emiko, the servant who headed Mei's ladies-in-waiting, must have opened them in a bid to wake the princess for her classes.

Said princess opened her eyes slowly and blinked against the first rays of sunlight.

"The new Taichou will be arriving this afternoon." Mei lifted her head slightly and brushed her long brown curls away from her eyes. Emiko was whispering to another woman, both were stood outside on the princess' balcony.

"She's nineteen!" The other woman, Mei instantly recognized her voice as Lily, another of her maids, voiced the princess' concerns. "She hardly needs protection," Lily scoffed, "what's all the use in training her if she is to be protected?" Mei, who was lying face down on her bed, propped herself onto her elbows and craned her neck to get a better look of the pair on the balcony. The girl frowned; why would her parents send a captain to guard her? She hadn't needed one in years. Mei could see her two maids, both looking out into the gardens, arms folded, looking nervous.

"Word has it," Emiko dropped her voice to a whisper, "that Aizen is moving." Mei's shoulders slumped in exasperation; if the enemy was about to bear arms then that meant security would be doubled around her! Mei finally rolled over onto her back and sat up with a sigh; their patronizing was infuriating. Emiko and Lily seemed to hear her move and came in from the balcony.

"Good morning, your highness," Emiko said with a smile as Lily went to Mei's wardrobe to pull out her clothes for that morning.

"Good morning," the princess smiled and looked on greedily as Emiko opened the doors to take a breakfast tray from another girl and bring it over to the bed. Mei reached over for a glass of water as Emiko watched her with a small smile; she had seen the princess grow up and had been around her all her life. It was strange to see that fragile, innocent child, become this beautiful, deadly and delicate princess. Mei had grey eyes that were responsible for her nickname with the people of Rukongai: _Haiiro no Hime _(the grey princess). And fair skin that looked pale as the moon next to her dark waves of hair. She looked every bit at home, sat in the middle of her gigantic circular bed, with a bedframe of gold and pale cream curtains that hung down from the ceiling to form a canopy above her. She was a good princess. She would rule, one day, and Emiko would still know, deep down, what the princess truly longed for.

Since coming to Seireitei, Emiko had been beside Mei, comforting and calming the restless princess, who grew impatient and bored with her wonderful life.

"What talk of a new guard, is there?" Mei asked suddenly and Lily, who came and placed a pale blue dress on the princess' bed, frowned at the girl and seemed to share a similar feeling of resentment.

"We do not need to worry ourselves about a new captain," Emiko spoke before Lily had a chance. As the elder of the two maids and therefore the one in highest authority, Emiko spoke harshly so Lily knew not to interrupt.

"I don't need a guard." Mei responded and the two maids looked at her.

"You are a princess," Emiko said kindly and brushed Mei's hair from her face, "every member of the royal family is getting one at this time." The woman spoke as if that finished the matter. Mei, who was usually quiet and content when Emiko spoke, looked up to Lily.

"Would you leave us a moment?" The princess asked and Lily obliged.

Once the door shut behind Lily, Mei remained seated and Emiko stood in silence for she knew what was coming. Mei had seen right through her; Emiko was acting far too cheerfully for this to be any other day. This could only mean one thing.

"Which Captain?" Mei asked and Emiko avoided her eye. The maid said nothing, "I asked," Mei said with more command this time, "which-" Emiko was about to interrupt her to tell her not to ask but Mei silenced her with a look. "Which Captain will be acting as my guard?" Emiko did not need to say the name, she simply looked up, fearfully at the princess with eyes full of hopelessness. She watched as the princess bowed her head and took a few deep breaths.

"It can't be him." Mei whispered to herself. "Please, not him."

* * *

Matsumoto, lieutenant of the 10th Division, stood outside her Taichou's office with the sinking feeling of apprehension crawling around in her stomach. She closed her eyes and clenched onto the papers in her hands tightly; this was going to be a difficult morning.

"Don't just stand there," she heard her Taichou's harsh voice carry from the other side of the door, "come in." He called and she obliged. Creaking the door open, she slithered in and saw him stood, with his back to her, looking out of his window. Matsumoto walked gently as though every step was sure to disturb him; news of his new position came this morning and she was sure it would put him in a bad mood. She stood behind his desk and put on a smile.

"Why don't we get some breakfast?" She said happily and waited for a response. He said nothing. His robes licked the floor as they swayed in the breeze. "Taich-"

"Babysitting." He said plainly and finally turned to her. Captain Hitsugaya appraised his lieutenant's smiling face and looked away in annoyance. His emerald eyes glittered in the sunlight and narrowed on the papers she had put in front of his desk. They had the details of his new position as the princess' guard and seeing Mei's name written so casually on the folded paper made him slam his fist down on the table.

Matsumoto jumped; she was used to the cool and calm Captain that was usually seen in this office. She did not think he would take the news this badly; it had been two years since-

"They want me to watch over a spoilt princess!" He exclaimed and looked to the woman as though for an explanation. Matsumoto had none; she was unsure of how to approach the situation. "Get this out of my sight." Her captain said quietly and Matsumoto did as told; she bundled up the papers in her arms and left his office immediately. She turned at the last moment, before the door slammed shut, to see Hitsugaya sat at his desk, his head in his hands.

When the door shut, Matsumoto leant against it and let out a long breath; that was a lot harder than she thought. As she made her way through the 10th Division's building, she could not help but think about what had happened only three years ago, just after she had met Hitsugaya who was still in training.

It was common knowledge that Captain Hitsugaya had guarded the princess before; when they were both six/seventeen. Whilst waiting to hear if he had been made captain, Hitsugaya went to stay at the Library, the Royal House in Seireitei, with the princess for almost a year as her guard. Then, without notice, two days after being unofficially appointed Captain, Hitsugaya entered the 10th Division with no word on his previous mission. He entered as a mature and gifted, young shinigami. Quiet, almost, resolute and wise; his reputation as a genius was intimidating to most of his subordinates. But Matsumoto knew that look; she knew why it was he remained silent and desolate. Upon entering the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Taichou brought not only the title of Captain with him, but the sorrow of heart break.

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	2. These Jagged Shards

**_Chapter 2_**

**_These Jagged Shards_**

~Three years ago, The Library- Royal House in Seireitei~

October was coming fast upon the horizon; trees were beginning to melt and burn as they surrendered to the chill of Autumn. October also meant, for those in their last year at the Academy, that they had to endure the tedious and fruitless task of completing a placement year in which they served the community. It was usually something students looked forward to….no, it was something _usual_ students looked forward to, but Hitsugaya Toshiro was not the usual student. Having been accepted to the academy at an exceptionally young age, Hitsugaya excelled in every class and was set to be one of the youngest graduates in history.

Then, why, _why_, did he have to take a placement year? He had seen battle before, whilst training alongside his teachers in the real world and in Seireitei! Every student at the Academy regarded the placement as the last long holiday they had before graduating so, to the mind of an easily-irritable genius, it was just a waste of time. Not only that, but his reputation as a star pupil had landed him one of the most needlessly strenuous of all the placements; he would act as a royal guard. When word had spread throughout the academy about where he would be staying, Hitsugaya had endured many jibes and comments over the fact that he would be one of the only people in Seireitei to lay eyes on _Haiiro no Hime. _It was infuriating and boring work to him, regardless of whom he had to be guarding and, as Hitsugaya took his first step into The Library on that cold October evening, he let out a deep sigh of malcontent; what an unproductive year this was going to be.

"Hitsugaya-san!" A male servant ran out onto the veranda of the Library to greet him. They nodded curtly to one another before Hitsugaya noticed the poorly-hidden look of panic on the boy's face.

"Is everything alright?" He asked and folded his arms. The servant rubbed his head and gave an ill-convincing smile.

"Yes, yes!" He exclaimed, "I suspect you will be wanting to…erm…"

"Meet with the Household." Hitsugaya finished the man's sentence for him; he spoke at such a slow and idle pace. The servant let out an airy laugh, his shoulders shaking up and down, growing nervous under the glare of the new guard.

"Her Highness is still in class." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow; it was passed seven o'clock in the evening, was it usual practice for royals to have lessons so late in the day? "I will show you to your living quarters and we will inform you when the princess arriv- finishes! When she finishes her class." He finished feebly and indicated for the guard to follow him.

* * *

A few hours later, Hitsugaya found himself sat on the roof of his quarters, a mug of tea in his hand, taking in the sight of Seireitei in twilight. It was peaceful here and quiet, that's how he liked it. The Library was less to his liking; a grand, ancient building, probably one of the most beautiful in Seireitei and certainly the most ostentatious Hitsugaya had ever seen, it towered around him and suffocated him in pretentious tradition that he had no value for.

As he adjusted the weight of the katana on his back, he became aware of a commotion happening in a room below. Hitsugaya leant forwards and looked beyond the courtyard in the middle of the square of buildings, into a room on the ground floor opposite him. He could see officials running back and forth in the room, servants hurriedly running this way and that. The young genius raised an eyebrow and leant further forwards with curiosity; what had shaken the royal house this late in the evening?

"Where _is_ she?" He heard a shout come from the room, "why does she keep doing this?" Were they…talking about the princess? Curiosity getting the better of him, Hitsugaya put down his mug and proceeded to jump into the courtyard. He landed lightly and looked around to make sure no one was there, before he walked over, as quietly as he could, to the room where all the noise was issuing from.

"It's your fault; you're too lenient!"

"If her father finds out…if YAMAMOTO finds out! We're all done for."

The young guard was crouching beneath a window, listening in, with his back against the wall, he slithered up a little to cock his head back and look into the room. It seemed to be a study, or a library in the Library, with bookshelves lining the walls and computers everywhere. In the room were several royal officials as well as servants, all flushed red with frustration.

"Who're you?" Hitsugaya turned back to the courtyard in alarm as someone spoke in the half-lit darkness. Golden light flooded the garden with a dream-like glow as he appraised the hooded figure in front of him. She wore a cloak and hid her face beneath the hood but Hitsugaya could see, as he was trained to, that she was clutching a katana beneath her robes. Hitsugaya got to his feet.

"I am the new royal guard-" He stopped as she laughed and began to remove her hood

"They get younger every year," she spoke so softly, so diplomatically, as her hood slipped from her head to reveal something Hitsugaya was not quite prepared for.

"We are the same age, your Highness," he replied, not entirely focused on the conversation as he took in the sight of her. The Princess really did have eyes the colour of rain; grey and shimmering, they glistened in the candlelight. "Did you sneak out?" He asked suddenly and the Princess smiled a little, Hitsugaya took this as a "yes". "Not one to follow the rules?"

"No," she replied slowly and tilted her head at him, "there's even a rule that says royals aren't to make eye contact with shinigami. If we're not going to follow that one then why stop there?" Even Hitsugaya gave a small smile; he had figured his placement would see him bowing down to the orders of a bratty and temperamental princess and he was relieved to find that this was not the case. They stood for a few moments in silence; eyeing each other up, examining one another, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Your Highness!" The Teenagers jumped as an official ran out of the building behind them. "_Where _have you-"

"She came to speak with me," Hitsugaya spoke suddenly and the official, who had completely ignored the white-haired boy, turned to him. "The Princess came to deliver me my orientation, I was just escorting her back to her quarters." The official, a small but lanky man with round glasses, who had a constant look of panic, looked between the princess and the shinigami student. Both looked innocent enough.

"That is all very well, Hitsugaya-san," as the man spoke, the princess mouthed Hitsugaya's name to get his attention and nodded her head in thanks, "but the princess is not to be seen alone by any member of Seireitei-"

"I apologise," the princess spoke suddenly and held up a hand to silence the man, "I am busy tomorrow so wanted to get the meeting over and done with. It won't happen again." And the way she said it, with a slight emphasis on her last sentence, made it sound as though she wasn't making any promises. Her grey eyes locked on his teal ones with a look, almost challenging him, before she turned on her heel quickly and walked away. The official had barely time to take anything in before he looked from Hitsugaya, to the princess and back again before he realized he should follow the royal and jumped into action. As she walked away, Hitsugaya watched as the shine of her chestnut-coloured hair caught the lamplight and shimmered. The princess turned back to him, whilst her servant was shouting at her about abandoning her post, and shot Histugaya a smile.

They were, for want of a better word, infatuated from that moment onwards. The need to hang on to their titles, to respect their obligations, kept them at a distance…for a while.

Unknown to the rest of the world, a week following the Princess' seventeenth birthday, they slept together. It was unlike anything Hitsugaya thought himself capable of; he abandoned all notions of duty and law because, to his dismay, she was his weakness. Following that night, the two tried to stay away from each other, knowing that pursuing anything would be more trouble than it was worth. But, with apparent disregard for their stations, lust got the better of them. The desire to know one another, to test one another, to see where they would break silence, kept them both locked in a battle of words and lust. She: the authority-hating, rule-breaking, breathtaking royal and he: the handsome, ambitious genius with no time for her unnecessary title. To him she was not a princess and she was grateful to him for that.

Over the course of the year following her birthday, the two were spotted on rooftops, drinking tea and talking until the sunrise. Servants claimed to have seen the two duelling in the training grounds a few times, or that they had taken meals together in private quarters. It was clear to all who saw them that the charms of the Princess had gotten the better of the cool-headed, standoffish, soon-to-be-shinigami. And almost a year after that, they had to admit that they were in love.

The Princess and her Guard kept their relationship professional whenever it suited and Yamamoto, nor the royal house, had any idea that the two were involved in anything bigger. It was, eventually, the biggest regret of their young lives for they did not look further into the future to see where the love could lead them.

Thinking about it now, as he walked towards the Library with an air of unease, Hitsugaya could not help but feel guilt. These jagged shards made up the memories of her and trying to piece them together was painful. Remembering how he had hurt her, how he had left her crying on her bedroom floor, was unbearable. Hitsugaya appraised the building that loomed in front of him; how could he survive around her? How could he bear the guilt of what he had done to her? The young captain bowed his head and soldiered on.


	3. Breakfast

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Breakfast**_

The young Captain nodded curtly to a servant who bowed before showing him the way to the princess' chambers. Of course, Hitsugaya did not need a guide, he had roamed these halls as if he owned them only a few years ago. In fact, Hitsugaya almost blushed at the thought of it, he and his princess and conspired all kinds of mischief behind these doors.

The palace, beautiful as ever, was full of rusting gold furniture and white linen drapes that swayed in the breeze that the open windows tempted in. It was calmer now, than he remembered, colder too. Coming back as an outsider was a much more daunting experience than he had thought; all these high ceilings and large rooms were making him feel suffocated; was there always so much unnecessary space? The whole place smelt like her; like warm jasmine and coconut, something you would want to taste.

Hitsugaya shook his head impatiently as though to get the thought of her away from him. He would not be pulled in by her, no matter what she did, no matter how she looked at him. She could even try that doe-eyed glance of agony, the one she would give when she was dying from the want of him but Hitsugaya would not give in this time. He would be strong, resilient, show that insufferable brat that he was no longer under her spell.

Within no time they arrived at the room where the princess had her breakfast. All her ladies-in-waiting were gathered at the doors, eating little cakes and sipping on tea. A few of them, who had been around a few years ago, quietened upon seeing Hitsugaya approach; all curious to see what would happen next. The shinigami nodded to them, avoiding the eye of the woman he knew to be closest to Mei, as the grand doors opened before him.

A room of red and gold was revealed; walls lined with thick velvet curtains, pulled aside to let in the soft daylight of the morning. Gold chairs stood impressively around a long oak dining table, glittering in the sunlight. And at the head of the table sat two people; one was an advisor to the princess, Tao, the other was Mei herself. Sat in a dress of blue and pink, her head down, reading a book on the table, undisturbed by the intrusion.

"Your highness?" The nervous servant who had lead Hitsugaya here, spoke suddenly. "The royal guard is here." Hitsugaya squared his shoulders and took a step forwards, holding himself to his full height.

"Very good." The Captain's heart skipped an uncertain beat; the advisor had spoken, Mei had not even looked up from her work. "I shall see you this evening, your highness. Come, boy." Tao spoke with an aged voice, like Yamamoto, to the servant who bowed to the princess and walked out with the advisor. The doors closed behind them, leaving only Hitsugaya and Mei alone in the room.

Usually, as Mei liked to have her breakfast surrounded by her friends, the table would have been full of food from all over the realm, the seats would glitter beneath dresses made of silk and the room would be full of music and chatter. Now, however, the room was cold and empty. The only person sat on the sixteen-seat dining table was the princess, with Hitsugaya stood, perplexed, on the other side.

Still young, still arrogant, Hitsugaya's ego was a little bruised.

"And?" He called from one end of the room. Mei sighed but continued to read.

"And?" She asked .

"Will you not look at me? Address me?" The captain was dumbfounded.

"How is it you would have me address you, Captain Hitsugaya?" Mei finally looked up. They stared at each other for a few moments as Hitsugaya tried to figure her out. How could she be so callous? She was behaving like…well, like a princess! The complete opposite of how he knew her. When had she ever called him by his title? "I shall take your silence as a chance for me to remind you that I am the royal that you are guarding. You must address me in a manner that-"

"Mei." She smiled as though she had given up when he spoke. "That's your name, isn't it? So that is what I'll call you." Mei shut her book with a sharp _thwack! _She stood and looked across to him.

"I am a princess-!"

"How can you have forgotten-?!"

"Forgotten?!" The princess shouted over him. "Forgotten?" She shook her head with a sickly sweet smile and moved around the table to walk over to him. "I have forgotten nothing." She spat at him and stood only a few feet away from the shinigami. "_We cannot go on, Mei. We are a Captain and a Princess, that is how things must be_." Hitsugaya closed his eyes as her words cut straight through him. He glanced up to her, her grey eyes brimming with unwanted tears, her beautiful face screwed up in frustration. "I have not forgotten." Mei whispered.

"Mei-"

"What is it you came here for?" She asked him quietly. "You are the one who told me to behave like a princess; to have a relationship with you that was fitting of a guard and a princess." The young shinigami looked away, ashamed of his rash actions. "I am merely doing as you asked."

"I-" She held a hand up to silence him.

"Address me properly." She folded her arms as though to hold herself and looked away.

"I understand, your highness." She nodded as he spoke, "please forgive me." Mei laughed to herself.

"Forgiveness?" She looked up at him, grey eyes narrowed on teal ones. "You are dismissed from breakfast, Captain." And with that, he bowed and left the room. Left the princess with her unbearable memories of how things used to be. As Mei sat down on a chair beside her, and the ladies-in-waiting came in to pour her tea and show her jewellery that had arrived from distant worlds, Mei was lost in thoughts of him.

_~ Hitsguaya's first breakfast at the Palace, two years ago ~_

Mei looked up as the doors to her dining room opened and smiled to herself upon seeing the handsome shinigami enter the hall. The room was a noisy and busy place, it looked a little like a jungle with all the girls wearing their brightly coloured dresses. Their laughter and chatter filled up the room with an infectious joy and as Hitsugaya's eyes found the princess, he tried not to smile. The chatter died down as the inhabitants of the room noticed the boy. Slowly, the women rose from their seats and left the room as business was about to begin; it was no longer time for idle conversation.

"Ah, Hitsugaya!" An advisor of the princess, who sat next to Mei at the head of the table, exclaimed as the soon-to-be-captain approached him. Mei mouthed Hitsguaya's name to get his attention and, when he looked at her she smiled mischievously.

"Yes, Sir." The silver-haired shinigami stood to attention as he was addressed.

"At ease, boy." The advisor almost laughed; students from the academy were always so well behaved. "I was told you met the princess last night?"

"Yes, Sir." Hitsugaya was trying to pay attention to this conversation but his attention kept being caught by the light that would catch the diamond that hung around the princess' neck.

"And you have been briefed?"

"Y-yes, Sir." The princess was doing something to her goblet of water, whispering to it, making the contents swirl until it almost spilled out of the glass containing it.

"Then I assume it is no surprise when I tell you that we expect nothing but the best from the youngest graduate of the academy," the boy almost blushed as he sensed the princess' stare on him. "But mark my words, boy," Hitsugaya snapped his attention over to the advisor who stood and pointed a finger at the boy. "You are to behave as though you are already in the rank of a Captain. No making eye contact with the princess, no addressing her inappropriately, no demonstrations of violence before her, no familiarity. Is that clear?" Hitsugaya glanced at Mei as slyly as possible but it seemed as if she was paying no attention.

"Yes, Sir." He exclaimed and bowed as the advisor left the room.

After a moment of silence, with the princess putting her goblet back down, Hitsugaya went to stand by a window and faced the room. As was the usual positions guards took when seeing over a member of the royal family. It was simple enough really-

"Do you enjoy being a shinigami?" The princess interrupted all of Hitsugaya's mundane thoughts and he looked, surprised, over to the princess. She had now crossed her legs underneath her on her throne and continued to eat breakfast. She looked at him intently; her grey eyes widening and focussing on him.

"Do you enjoy being a princess?" He asked in return. The princess smiled at him slyly.

"Yes. Very much so." Her smile widened. "There is a great degree of 'getting what I want' with this job."

"And what is it you want, your highness?" The temperature in the room rose and the princess' smile turned into a smirk. Her soft, petal lips parted gently and she blew a straying strand of hair from in front of her face.

"I asked you a question," she responded after a moment, enjoying the shade of pink that his cheeks became. "Do you enjoy being a shinigami?" Hitsugaya thought about it and the more he thought, the more he could not think of an answer.

"It is the same answer to 'why are you a princess'?" He said.

"Because I could not have been anything else." The princess said slowly, thinking about her brith right. So that was it…Hitsugaya could have been nothing other than a shinigami. She wondered why that was. But as she looked him up and down, lean and handsome in his robes, she decided it was a question for another day. Mei smiled and stretched before standing from the table.

"I want to have a bath." Hitsugaya nodded and stepped aside for her to pass him and return to her bedroom. The princess laughed and flashed him a smile as she walked past.

"Aren't you coming?"

* * *

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	4. The Namer of Things

_**The Namer of Things**_

Hitsugaya stared, utterly dumbfounded, after the princess as she walked past him. As he watched a shimmer of light run through her chocolate hair, the soon-to-be-captain felt as though the ability to speak had left him. The girl turned back to him, her soft pink lips curving into a small smile as she saw she had finally broken through his professional demeanour. His mouth opened slowly.

"Sorry?" Was all he could say.

"A bath." The princess repeated and gestured to the doors, "shall we?" Hitsugaya followed her out of the room and back to her quarters. He kept a respectful six steps between them, as he was taught to do. Moving though the Library, Hitsugaya almost laughed as Mei approached tutors, senior officials, members of the royal house, with a unrelenting familiarity. They all called out to her and she would wave with a carefree smile, while shouting an introduction for Hitsugaya who bowed quickly every time she did so. Eyes of elders rolled at her as she flitted through the courtyard like a butterfly; uncaring and unwelcoming of their criticism. The Library was full of noise and laughter; it followed her around like a cloud of sparkling stardust. It lit her up until she glittered like gold and the shinigami student found himself almost intrigued by her nature. She was unlike anything he had been taught to be.

"Ah!" Hitsugaya gasped as he bumped into the princess. "Forgive me, you highness," the boy said as he lowered himself into a deep bow.

"Relax," Mei spoke softly as he stood up straight. "There's no one around; you can stop the Shinigami charade."

"Excuse me?" Almost instantly, an icy air settled around the pair. Mei was stood in the shadow cast by the building which housed her quarters, whilst Hitsugaya stood out in the cold sunshine. Her smile faded.

"You don't have to speak to me like that," Mei said seriously. "Y_our highness…princess_" she grimaced and waved her hands as though shoo-ing away the words like they were a nuisance, "you can call me Mei." He looked over to her as though he could not understand her.

"A Princess…That's what you are." He said plainly. Mei considered him for a moment.

"What's that?" She pointed over to something in the courtyard behind Hitsugaya. He turned to spy a cherry tree beside a winding stream. The delicate pink blossoms fell from the branches and caught a breeze that made them swirl up into the air.

"A cherry tree." He responded.

"No." Confused by her response, Hitsugaya turned back to her. "It is beautiful." Her face was solemn, she was looking out to the cherry tree as though she felt its loneliness. "Call things by what they are. Not by what you were told they are." Mei said. "What am I?" She turned back to Hitsugaya and tilted her head at him, waiting for an answer. The boy gulped; was this a test of his intelligence? Was she trying to outsmart him? Or was she just…he didn't even know the word for it…was she being _sincere? _"What am I?" She repeated. The truth was, Hitsugaya could not think of a word to describe this girl who did nothing but take him by surprise. She was so much more than what he had been lead to believe. Could he say that to her? Of course not, he would never be allowed to be so familiar with a royal.

"You are Mei." He was surprised as soon as the words came tumbling out of his mouth. She nodded at him with an appreciative smile.

"Then that is what you will call me." She turned to enter her quarters, "well you can't say it in front of any one else, they'll go mad. Calling a princess by her actual name, can you imagine? Riots in the streets….they'll call for your incarceration…" and so the princess continued to paint a rather gruesome picture of their fates as Hitsugaya followed her through to her bathroom. He perched at the door, unsure of what to do.

The princess' bath was unlike anything Hitsugaya had ever seen, a long oval shaped bath, deeper than she was tall and longer than the pool at the academy; it sat impressively in the middle of an oval shaped room. The walls of the room were pained a dark gold colour to compliment the antique gold furnishings; the brackets that held candles against the walls, the frames of mirrors and the chez chair that sat in the corner.

"Come in." Mei spoke softly and Hitsugaya, feeling entirely out of his depth, took a step into the wet and warm room; it was humid with steam that rose from the surface of the bath and swirled up into the air around them. There was the smell of flowers from the courtyard drifting in on a breeze. Hitsugaya watched the princess walk over to the chez and he immediately averted his gaze as she began to remove her dress.

"Would you like me to step outsi-?"

"No need." The princess shrugged off her dress and laughed when she caught sight of the colour rising in Hitsugaya's cheeks. "You can look up." She instructed him and began to laugh as he did so as slowly as possible. But the princess stood in a white dress, the underneath layer of her daily clothes.

"You won't remove it?" As he asked, she raised an eyebrow.

"Well I can if you want me to-"

"You know that's not what I meant." The boy snapped at her. Mei laughed to herself and entered the water. Her dress became heavier as it fell into the warm and inviting waves in the pool.

"Ah," Mei gasped in relief as she dipped her head into the water and emerged again. "I like to swim in the mornings." She said absentmindedly to Hitsugaya who took his guard's stance at the edge of the room. And so, the princess began to swim. The bath was practically a pool and she could do a lap from one end to another in around a minute. Hitsugaya chose to stare directly opposite him, where a ornately framed mirror was. The steam was clouding up Hitsugaya's view of himself until he was just a foggy blur in the distance. He looked over to Mei as he realised the sound of her swimming had stopped. She was sat at the other end of the pool, idly eyeing up something in her hand. "This was given to me," she began suddenly, "the day I left the palace." Hitsugaya took a step forward so he could just make out the shine of a small brass key.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The key to my heart." Mei smiled up at him before shrugging; "I left before I could even ask." She could tell, from the way his hands unfolded and fell to his sides, that Hitsugaya wanted to know more. "I left to complete my training." Mei explained. "I have to be at the same level of skill as a captain by my birthday next month."

"How is it going?" Mei, who had been talking almost to herself, was brought out of her thoughts and gave a small smile; how funny that a guard should show interest in her. And how strange that he was the first man to show an interest in her training.

"I am probably as skilled as you." She smirked.

"You think so?" Hitsugaya took a step forward. He liked a challenge.

"I bet so." Mei stood from the water.

"What would you bet?"

"The key." She tucked it back into the neck of her dress.

"Okay," Hitsugaya muttered but had taken action before the princess had even heard him. He began to run towards the princess but she was too quick for him. Mei stood and, as though her hand was skimming the water, she waved towards him and a wall like a tsunami erupted from the pool and headed towards Hitsugaya. He dodged it by jumping with all his might to the other side of the pool. With a small gasp, Mei began to run up the steps, out of the bath.

Hitsugaya knelt beside the pool and put a single finger into the warm water. Like a crack in glass, a trickle of ice began to form in the water and snake its way to Mei. As she was about to bound from the last step of the bath, the thread of ice wrapped around her ankle and trapped her.

"Ah!" Mei gasped, turned to Hitsugaya and forced another wall of water to come up between them. Just as the water erupted Hitsugaya saw her fall as her ankle was trapped. He jumped over to her, turned her wall of water into ice, removed his katana from its sheath in one quick movement, and slashed through the ice.

"ARGH!" Hitsugaya and the princess screamed as they collided with one another when the boy emerged form behind the ice. Losing his balance, Hitsugaya grabbed a hold of Mei in surprise, dropping his katana. As the pair fell to the floor at the edge of the bath, the Katana hit the marble floor with a loud CLANG. The room became silent after the sound of rushing water and breaking ice and the pair of teenagers stayed where they were. Mei was trapped under Hitsugaya for he had fallen on top of her. They were both breathing heavy, unsure of why it was neither of them was moving.

"Are you okay?" Hitsugaya asked as he looked down at her. The princess, her hair still wet, droplets clinging to her lips and eyelashes, nodded slowly. She could feel the heat of Hitsugaya's body on top of her, underneath his robes, against her cold wet skin. His breath was warming against her neck and Mei found she could not unlock her eyes from his. She reached around her neck, untied the necklace and proceeded to hoist it over Hitsugaya's head.

As she reached up and he lowered his head, they moved close and his eyes caught her lips. What was happening here? What was this intoxicating feeling? He could sense every inch of her beneath him, every slender edge and gentle curve. It was drying up his mouth, heating his blood. He had to get away from her.

"Come on." Hitsugaya stood and held out a hand to help Mei up. She took it but it did not go unnoticed by Hitsugaya that the princess was staring at him as though seeing him for the first time. "I will call your maids to dress you." He said and walked swiftly from the room.

"Hitsugaya?" She called after him but he did not return.

_End flashback~ Mei at breakfast_.

"Princess?" Mei looked up as Lily entered the room. Her eldest maid noticed the slightly flustered manner in which the princess had greeted her. It was Lily's fault really, for letting the two of them be alone for even a minute.

"Yes, Lily?" The girl responded.

"Your birthday plans? Have you decided what to do?" Mei almost scoffed at the thought of it. Three years ago she had planned a party. Now, however, celebrating was not what she felt like doing. Mei thought for a few moments before running a hand through her hair warily.

"I wish to go home and see my parents." She said coldly. Lily nodded as the princess stood from the table.

"I will see to the arrangements this afternoon."

* * *

Hitsugaya spend most of the day in the courtyard, standing outside of whatever building the princess was in. He caught sight of her as she moved from one building to the next and simply followed the crowd of maids that accompanied her. Another strange new change to the Library; Mei usually hated being escorted but it seemed she no longer minded. She did not acknowledge or call Hitsugaya through out the entire day. It seemed the princess had outgrown her guard.

The man was known for being a contemplative and patient captain; he simply took this as another mission which involved a lot of waiting. Mei did not want to know him and that was fine. He would proceed to act as professionally as he should have done the moment he arrived here. What had happened at breakfast was foolishness; he should not have let emotions get the better of him.

Stood outside the Princess' quarters at dusk, Hitsugaya stood to attention as the woman he knew as Lily, approached the building.

"Captain," she nodded curtly to him and he returned the gesture before stepping aside to let her pass through the doors. The look on her face intrigued Hitsugaya; she looked worried, distraught even, as she approached the princess' living quarters in the light of a setting sun. Intrigue getting the better of him, Hitsugaya walked around to the back of the building to where he knew Mei's balcony was. He hoped to be able to catch some of their conversation, for security reasons of course. As he continued to debate with himself whether or not that was genuinely the reason, he turned a corner and stopped dead.

There, on a swinging bench on her balcony, sat a solemn-looking and teary-eyed Mei. She heard him approach but did not look up at him.

"They don't want to see me." She said suddenly. "My parents," she looked up to him and his heart broke, "they don't want to see me on my birthday." She swallowed hard as a lonely tear rolled down her sweet face. "So I'm stuck here of another year!" the princess stood and threw her tea cup with all her might so it flew across her private gardens and smashed against the trunk of a cherry tree. The china pieces fell into the stream and were washed away. With a look of alarm, Hitsugaya jumped up onto the balcony.

"Mei-" she waved at him to be quiet and proceeded to hang her head as she sat on her lonesome.

"What are you doing here?" She asked suddenly and looked up at him. Hitsugaya did not know what to say or how to answer her. She stood, wrapping her white dressing gown around her tightly. "Why do you insist on doing this to me?" Mei asked exasperatedly.

"I was just coming to make sure you're okay."

"I don't need you to do that!" For the second time that day the pair stood on opposite ends of what felt like a universe. There was so much distance between them.

"I'm your guard-"

"So make sure no one kills me! Don't sneak up on me-"

"You are the one who started this conversation! I was ready to leave!"

"So LEAVE." Mei shouted. "Everyone else does." Hitsugaya closed his eyes as she whispered this.

"Mei, things don't have to be like this."

"I am so sick of people telling me how to live my life." She snapped at him, "from now on I get to decide. And I think it's fair of me to ask that the people who abandon me for no reason other than their own selfish wants, leave me the fuck alone."

"I see your language hasn't improved." Mei looked at him with bored eyes as Hitsugaya stood his ground; he squared his shoulders and crossed his arms.

"It's a shame you won't get to see which of my skills_ have _improved." She whispered. It didn't mean anything but she knew it was enough to unsteady Hitsugaya. His calm and placative demeanour infuriated her sometimes.

"What does that mean?" He asked, raising his voice a little.

"Goodnight, Captain." Mei turned on her heel and re-entered her bedroom.

"Mei!" But she did not return.

As Hitsugaya shrugged off the dark cloud the princess had forced around him, he proceeded to hurriedly walk back to his quarters as he was running late for a meeting. The young captain was unaware that he was being watched. On a rooftop opposite, a slender figure slinked out of the shadows.

"How come you ask after her, when I am the one missing you? How come you want to make her feel better, when I am the one who is hurting?" Hinamori crept out of the shadows and jumped down from the rooftop.

* * *

**Please review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, this fic is going to be deleted due to lack of interest.

If you want to see more then leave a review saying so...but after four chapters and 1 review, I doubt there's a big demand for it.

Thanks to those who favourited/followed anyway :)


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